- Location
- Shrewsbury, Shropshire
Your ride today....
- Thread starter gbb
- Start date
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- Location
- Somewhere wet & hilly in NW England.
WET & WINDY!
Staying in - 2016 half century challenge starts Friday so I'll go out then.
Staying in - 2016 half century challenge starts Friday so I'll go out then.
Mo1959
Legendary Member
- Location
- Perthshire,Scotland
Here's hoping 2016 treats us better weather wise!WET & WINDY!
Staying in - 2016 half century challenge starts Friday so I'll go out then.
Racing roadkill
Guru
https://www.strava.com/activities/459267380
Windy, but mild and dry. The only trouble now is, that I only have 80 odd Km's to ride tomorrow, in order to finish the Rapha festive 500. Ohhh dear, winter bike prepped and readied then
.
Windy, but mild and dry. The only trouble now is, that I only have 80 odd Km's to ride tomorrow, in order to finish the Rapha festive 500. Ohhh dear, winter bike prepped and readied then
.
- Location
- Manchester
First ride out in quite some time (since Sept 
), good grief it was hard work coming back into the wind, felt like I was towing a caravan through treacle... still, 52km, so am pleased with that.
https://www.strava.com/activities/459331609
A view of the Thames Estuary, a tad bleak and windswept....
), good grief it was hard work coming back into the wind, felt like I was towing a caravan through treacle... still, 52km, so am pleased with that.https://www.strava.com/activities/459331609
A view of the Thames Estuary, a tad bleak and windswept....
Racing roadkill
Guru
Well doneFirst ride out in quite some time (since Sept
https://www.strava.com/activities/459331609
A view of the Thames Estuary, a tad bleak and windswept....
View attachment 114358
Elybazza61
Guru
Did we pass then?
I did nod/wave/say hello to most as I went pass although it was probably more of a grunt by the end
https://www.strava.com/activities/459267380
Windy, but mild and dry. The only trouble now is, that I only have 80 odd Km's to ride tomorrow, in order to finish the Rapha festive 500. Ohhh dear, winter bike prepped and readied then
Got 106 to finish the 500 and 60 odd for the 10k then another 20 for the MTS;think the latter may not happen.
Not really looking forward to it somehow,think It'll be a struggle;hopefully I'll be alright once I get going
.Good luck with your 80
Racing roadkill
Guru
CheersDid we pass then?
I did nod/wave/say hello to most as I went pass although it was probably more of a grunt by the end
Got 106 to finish the 500 and 60 odd for the 10k then another 20 for the MTS;think the latter may not happen.
Not really looking forward to it somehow,think It'll be a struggle;hopefully I'll be alright once I get going
Good luck with your 80
Glow worm
Legendary Member
- Location
- Near Newmarket
Just a short 17 miler here in the flatlands (yesterday).
Had to do some shopping in Burwell as the cupboards were bare, so after that, with rammed panniers, I headed out to the Wicken Fen area. Light winds and warm sun yesterday- a rare treat.
Lifting the heavy bike over the footbridge at Burwell Lode proved interesting. The section along Burwell Fen is a shared use path. I normally have no problems with peds here but there were a couple of awkward so and sos today walking dogs. I guess they'd had a bad Christmas or something. I'm always ultra polite to the miserable ones- it seems to upset them even more!
The light was perfect for owl spotting and I wasn't disappointed with three or four short eared owls out hunting in the afternoon sunshine. They show up beautifully in that kind of light. They were a little too distant to photograph though sadly.
Burwell Fen from the bridge at Reach Lode.
Got home in the twilight - just enough dark to set off my new Lumotech hub Dynamo front light that Santa bought me. I'm very impressed with it too. I've managed about 100 miles more than last year, so think I might aim to hit the 3,500 mile mark in 2016.
Had to do some shopping in Burwell as the cupboards were bare, so after that, with rammed panniers, I headed out to the Wicken Fen area. Light winds and warm sun yesterday- a rare treat.
Lifting the heavy bike over the footbridge at Burwell Lode proved interesting. The section along Burwell Fen is a shared use path. I normally have no problems with peds here but there were a couple of awkward so and sos today walking dogs. I guess they'd had a bad Christmas or something. I'm always ultra polite to the miserable ones- it seems to upset them even more!
The light was perfect for owl spotting and I wasn't disappointed with three or four short eared owls out hunting in the afternoon sunshine. They show up beautifully in that kind of light. They were a little too distant to photograph though sadly.
Burwell Fen from the bridge at Reach Lode.
Got home in the twilight - just enough dark to set off my new Lumotech hub Dynamo front light that Santa bought me. I'm very impressed with it too. I've managed about 100 miles more than last year, so think I might aim to hit the 3,500 mile mark in 2016.
hedder2212
Senior Member
- Location
- Walsall
Got all of my work for the day done about lunch time.
Pulled out the map, closed my eyes and put my finger on a random spot on the map. Long Mynd it was.
Chucked the bike in the van again and off i went.
Very windy, bits of rain but i was happy. Bike got plastered in mud and i took a few tumbles but got back up and laughed it off. Havent done much "off road" stuff in quite a while but loved it. App on the tablet says i did 25.2 miles in total around there. nackered but worth it.
Pulled out the map, closed my eyes and put my finger on a random spot on the map. Long Mynd it was.
Chucked the bike in the van again and off i went.
Very windy, bits of rain but i was happy. Bike got plastered in mud and i took a few tumbles but got back up and laughed it off. Havent done much "off road" stuff in quite a while but loved it. App on the tablet says i did 25.2 miles in total around there. nackered but worth it.
DaveReading
Don't suffer fools gladly (must try harder!)
- Location
- Reading, obvs
First decent ride for several weeks yesterday, other then the odd trip into town. Slightly scary segment when I took a wrong turn and ended up cycling on the wet southbound A33 into the low midday sun, worried that I'd get a SMIDSY car driver up my *rse.
Lovely ride once I'd got off the main road, through a bunch of wonderfully-named north Hants villages: Turgis Green, Hartley Wespall, Rotherwick. Turned round at Hook and back through Mattingley, Hazeley Bottom (pic), Bramshill and Swallowfield.
Thirty-three miles in total, felt a bit weary in the afternoon so my New Year's resolution is to get out more and improve my stamina and fitness.
Lovely ride once I'd got off the main road, through a bunch of wonderfully-named north Hants villages: Turgis Green, Hartley Wespall, Rotherwick. Turned round at Hook and back through Mattingley, Hazeley Bottom (pic), Bramshill and Swallowfield.
Thirty-three miles in total, felt a bit weary in the afternoon so my New Year's resolution is to get out more and improve my stamina and fitness.
Racing roadkill
Guru
https://www.strava.com/activities/459943449
That's the Festive 500 done, and a Metric Ton to finish off the year
.
The weather held out nicely as well (except the wind
).
That's the Festive 500 done, and a Metric Ton to finish off the year
.The weather held out nicely as well (except the wind
).
- Location
- Shrewsbury, Shropshire
The last ride of 2015 is done. The weather forecast looked a bit iffy so it was just a short one this time but was hilly.
My route was one that I used to do very regularly but haven't been on for ages: up Lyth Hill and along the bridleways to and through Exfords Green before rejoining the tarmac along Long Lane and up to Oaks. I took the back way to Pulverbatch then skirted the lower slopes of the Long Mynd through Wilderley before dropping back down to Dorrington, Condover and home.
It felt a lot windier out than the Met Office reckons so progress was a bit slow at the start. The track over the top of Lyth Hill has had some drainage channels dug since I was last up there so it was much better to ride but the path down the other side was very muddy and slippy - not great when running the tyres pumped up hard for road riding.
The views were good from Oaks with blue sky overhead and the air fairly clear but I could see a bank of cloud gathered to the west and by the time I got to Wilderley it had started to rain. Not being able to tell if this was just a shower or something more prolonged I decided not to go for the longer route I had in mind to do today. I'll leave that for next time.
The wind and gradient was in my favour now so the remaining 7 miles were done at a nice brisk pace.It was good to see a few other riders out and about.
18.5 miles, 11.4 mph average which isn't fast but I think is okay with the hills and off road bits.
The view from the top of Lyth Hill looking in the direction I'm headed.
The bridleway at Exfords Green
From near Wilderley. The Wrekin is prominent as always and Lyth Hill is the little ridge against the horizon on the left of the pic.
Time to make a decision. It's started raining and dark clouds are sweeping across from the west.
The weather forecast looked a bit iffy so it was just a short one this time but was hilly. My route was one that I used to do very regularly but haven't been on for ages: up Lyth Hill and along the bridleways to and through Exfords Green before rejoining the tarmac along Long Lane and up to Oaks. I took the back way to Pulverbatch then skirted the lower slopes of the Long Mynd through Wilderley before dropping back down to Dorrington, Condover and home.
It felt a lot windier out than the Met Office reckons so progress was a bit slow at the start. The track over the top of Lyth Hill has had some drainage channels dug since I was last up there so it was much better to ride but the path down the other side was very muddy and slippy - not great when running the tyres pumped up hard for road riding.
The views were good from Oaks with blue sky overhead and the air fairly clear but I could see a bank of cloud gathered to the west and by the time I got to Wilderley it had started to rain. Not being able to tell if this was just a shower or something more prolonged I decided not to go for the longer route I had in mind to do today. I'll leave that for next time.
The wind and gradient was in my favour now so the remaining 7 miles were done at a nice brisk pace.
It was good to see a few other riders out and about.18.5 miles, 11.4 mph average which isn't fast but I think is okay with the hills and off road bits.
The view from the top of Lyth Hill looking in the direction I'm headed.
The bridleway at Exfords Green
From near Wilderley. The Wrekin is prominent as always and Lyth Hill is the little ridge against the horizon on the left of the pic.
Time to make a decision. It's started raining and dark clouds are sweeping across from the west.
